Repentance in Evangelism

If I had to pack my stuff back up (God forbid!) and leave school right now, the things that God has taught me in the past 7 days have already made such a profound impact that my life and ministry would and MUST look so very different.

One of the beautiful things about the redemption of God is that those who are learning from you and with you can sometimes get as much out of your errors as they can your successes. This is not to say that we should intentionally shirk responsibility in hopes that this might happen, but redeeming our mess ups is a beautiful safety net by which God is always glorifying himself and spreading the gospel around the world.

I mention all of that as a preface to repentance. Over the past 7 days that Lord has reminded me time and time again of how I have neglected a primary responsibility as a disciple of Jesus over my years of ministry. I have not made it a priority to personally be sharing the gospel with lost people on a regular basis. The key word is "personally." Who am I praying for? Who am I having intentional conversations with? Who am I leading to (or at least toward) Jesus RIGHT NOW?

The most convicting reality of all is that the sheep look like the shepherd. And I know this is true, especially in the ministry that I have recently left. I have a wonderful group of students who KNOW what the gospel is. They know the Bigger Story of redemption that is centered on Jesus Christ. They know the disciplines of the Christian life, and they know some practical ways to navigate life in a Christ-like manner. But, because I have not set the example obedience to personally evangelize those around me, they have followed suit for the most part.

But, be sure of one thing. This will change in me. And If hope that if these statements are true of you, it will change in you as well. This will change... not because I have some new strategy or passion. It's not because I've uncovered some new truth. It is because I am thoroughly convinced that the Holy Spirit of God will no longer allow me to preach to the masses without preaching to individuals. He will make my heart a mess of unrest if this lack of integrity continues any longer.

And so, I pray for you that you will FIND LOST PEOPLE and live the gospel and share the gospel. And I ask you to pray for me that I will find such opportunities as well.

In the past, I've always seen it like this: It's my job to be faithful in the disciplines of the Christian life, and God will bring people along my way that I can share the gospel with. Almost like Augustine's old adage... "Preach the gospel, and when necessary, use words." No offense, but this is ridiculous. The gospel can only be preached with words. As I heard it said today in a sermon: "Asking someone to share the gospel without words is like asking someone to share their phone number without digits." Proof of the gospel is conveyed in a person's life, but the gospel itself is given with words.

And we need to share it!

In Christ,
Andy